Jacob Tamme wrecks the formula. He wasn’t the size of a dump truck and didn’t grow up dreaming of reaching the NFL as a tight end. He signed with the University of Kentucky as a shortstop. The plan was to play some football and blossom on the diamond. Then he blew out his back, putting him on a collision course with Peyton Manning.

Tamme worked in the classroom as hard as he did in athletics. He ditched baseball after a two-year hiatus and finished his degree in three years.

“After swinging the bat following that layoff, I liked my opportunities in football better,” Tamme admitted.

He majored in integrated strategic communications.

Hey, isn’t that Manning’s nickname?

“There’s really nothing more applicable to what I studied than our entire offense. It’s worked out perfectly for me,” said Tamme, tongue only slightly in cheek, after a workout this week at Dove Valley. “I never knew I would use my degree in the NFL. There’s no better place.”

Tamme enters the final season of his three-year contract as a glue player. He has more uses than Arm & Hammer. He led the Broncos in special-teams tackles last season, can work as an off-the-line tight end or streak down the seam from the slot. Pro Bowler Julius Thomas, whom the team is attempting to sign to a long-term contract, anchors the tight end position. Tamme goes at 230 pounds, providing a changeup.

“I want to be extremely versatile. I know I have to fill a certain role,” Tamme said. “The neat thing about the NFL is I can go from blocking a 290-pound defensive end to trying to run past a 190-pound cornerback in back-to-back plays. Whatever this team needs, I have to be ready to do it.”

The Broncos’ offense features multiple layers and options. On most teams, Tamme would have slipped into ghost status. In coordinator Adam Gase’s blueprint, Tamme maintains a niche. He wasn’t buried in minicamp passes over the last few weeks, catching several impressive passes, including a long touchdown Monday. Manning explained in the past that Tamme’s ability to line up in different positions “provides reads” on defensive coverages.

Manning’s presence in Denver attracted Tamme. He wanted to team with his former quarterback from Indianapolis. He learned his trade from Manning and with the help of former all-pro tight end Dallas Clark.

“Dallas was the consummate pro. He did everything the right way,” said Tamme, who will retreat to Danville, Ky., before training camp, spending time with his wife, who is expecting, and 3-year-old son. “I didn’t get as many opportunities early in my career, but it was great for me to learn from him. And obviously being around one of the best quarterbacks ever hasn’t hurt.”

Tamme recently took batting practice with the Rockies and insisted he was a strong fielder in high school. He could pick it as a shortstop but has developed into one heck of a utility player.

“Denver was the right fit for me and still is,” Tamme said. “Julius did a phenomenal job last year. We have a really good group of tight ends. There’s super competition just to get on the field. It makes us all better and, more important, makes this team better.”

Troy joined The Denver Post in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role before the 2015 season. He is a past president of the local chapter of Baseball Writers Association of America and has won more than 20 local and national writing awards since graduating from the University of Colorado journalism school with honors in 1993.

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